Offscreen

Ecstasy of the Angels

In 1970, following the defeat of the battle against the Anpo, the political movements that were once pillars of resistance began to dissolve. Small fringe groups such as the Red Army emerged, sweeping the scope of extreme political tendencies. In "Ecstasy of Angels", a revolutionary organisation (inspired by Auguste Blanqui’s "Société de saisons") is mired by internal turmoil, betrayal and ambient paranoia. "Ecstasy..." is a cocktail of revolt, sex, violence and dialectics, often simultaneously, in Wakamatsu’s incomparable style.

Shot right after their trip to Palestine, with a script by Adachi and the help of several members of the Red Army, the film was accused of inciting terrorism after its release coincided with several attacks, including the Asama hostage crisis of 1972. It was pulled from most theatres, with the notable exception of ATG’s Shinjuku Bunka, which would go on to support the film till the very end.